No court ordered arrest of Araraume, Okorocha — Group

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume. Credit: Ifeanyi Araraume.

The Imo First Group (IFG) has dismissed reports of an alleged Magistrate Court order authorising the arrest of Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, over alleged criminal conspiracy and forgery, describing the reports as fake news.

The group stated this in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja, challenging those circulating the report to make the purported court order public.

“We want to state categorically and unequivocally that no Senior Magistrate ordered or issued any bench warrant for the arrest of Araraume,” the statement said.

The group challenged those behind the report to publish the purported court order to enable members of the public to verify its authenticity.

“If you claim to have a court order, present same for the public to see,” it stated.

IFG also questioned the credibility of the report, citing what it described as inconsistencies in the dates associated with the alleged bench warrant and the petition said to have triggered it.

The group noted that while the purported warrant was dated September 9, 2026, the REC’s petition was reportedly dated October 8, 2026, despite being presented as the basis for the court’s action. The report also referenced case number CR/M/084/2026.

According to the group, those behind the report had allegedly attempted to obtain an ex parte order from the magistrate but were unsuccessful.

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“The magistrate bluntly refused to grant their ex parte and threatened to arrest them, yet they carried their falsehood about,” the statement alleged.

The group further accused those circulating the report of attempting to tarnish the reputations of the two politicians for political reasons.

“What’s the problem of occupants of office that never won free and fair elections and tried to destroy reputable Imo sons that have won elections?” the statement queried.

IFG maintained that the alleged arrest warrant was being used to advance political interests and urged those claiming that the order existed to produce it.

“We challenge anyone in this macabre surugede dance to show the court order or warrant of arrest. It’s preposterous to blackmail decent Imo sons on the altar of dirty politics,” the statement added.

The claims surrounding the alleged warrant were not independently verified in the statement, and no copy of the purported court order was provided in the account.